Ex-Flamengo star tips Filipe Luís to end Caxias hoodoo | OneFootball

Iranildo ‘Chuchu’ spoke exclusively with the Coluna do Fla team

By: Pedro Paulo Catonho and Rodrigo Lima

Flamengo takes the field next Sunday (14) with a tough mission: to beat Juventude at Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, in Caxias do Sul. The Most Beloved hasn’t managed this feat for 28 years, more precisely since October 1, 1997. The one who was there for the narrow Mengão victory by 1-0 on that occasion was midfielder Iranildo, affectionately known as ‘Chuchu’.

In an exclusive interview with the Coluna do Fla team, Iranildo gave Filipe Luís a tip on how to break the drought and showered praise on Arrascaeta. In addition, ‘Chuchu’ said that the cold is the biggest obstacle in Caxias do Sul and confessed he didn’t remember that he almost threw everything away in the Brasileirão 1997 match.

WHAT DID IRANILDO SAY TO COLUNA DO FLA?

“The tip I give is for Flamengo to play offensively, press up high, high marking. Without a doubt, this taboo will end now in the next match. And let’s go, red-black greetings, ‘we’re together and mixed’,” joked the excited Iranildo, before praising Arrascaeta.

— Arrascaeta has been one of the best midfielders in Brazil for a long time. We really have to praise him. Thankfully he’s at Flamengo, he’ll be wearing the number 10 shirt for a long time. From that era, with a similar style, I’ll talk about myself. I was a bit like Arrascaeta in another proportion, right? I mean, Arrascaeta scores a lot of goals, he’s won more titles than I did at Flamengo, but he also has that trait of setting up teammates for goals, and I did that too. I played the same role as him,” added Iranildo.

WHAT WAS THE 1997 GAME LIKE?

The weather forecast for Caxias do Sul on game day is a high of 23°C and a low of 13°C. Despite the cold, the temperature will be an ‘advantage’ for the 2025 team compared to the 1997 squad. After all, the match 28 years ago was played at night. This season’s clash will be in the afternoon. Iranildo highlighted the weather as one of the main obstacles.

— Playing against Juventude there is very difficult, and the cold really gets in the way. That’s the main memory we have of that match there. It’s really tough, the field is tight, the crowd supports them, and because of the cold and the difficulty, it’s always hard. We played with two long-sleeved shirts and a couple more shirts underneath. Come to think of it, I even played with gloves. No doubt, the cold really gets in the way. We’re used to the heat, so it’s tough,” recalled Iranildo.

DID IRANILDO ALMOST BECOME THE VILLAIN THAT NIGHT?

If today Iranildo talks to Coluna do Fla about the memory of the historic win in Caxias do Sul, the former number 10 almost became the villain. Flamengo scored the winning goal in the 23rd minute of the second half, when Bruno Quadros shot across goal and the ball deflected off defender Rodrigo, who scored an own goal. However, Chuchu was sent off soon after, at the 25th minute, and Mengo came under pressure. Asked by our team about the play, the former midfielder was surprised and burst out laughing.

— My friend (laughs), to be honest, I didn’t even remember I was sent off in that game, can you believe it? Wow, so that was one of my first send-offs, huh? At least there’s that memory, but I don’t remember it (laughs). That’s life, what can you do?,” Chuchu laughed.

On that cold night in Caxias do Sul, Flamengo took the field with Clemer; Leandro, Juan, Fabiano and Gilberto; Jamir, Bruno Quadros, Evandro (Jorginho) and Iranildo; Lúcio and Sávio (Lê). Besides Chuchu, left-back Gilberto was also shown a red card. Even with two men down, Mengão held on to the result.

Despite some big names in the squad, the 1997 team only won one title, the now-defunct Copa dos Campeões Mundiais. Curiously, the winning goal was scored by Iranildo, in the final against São Paulo, in Brasília, when Rubro-Negro won 1-0. Asked why Mengão didn’t dominate Brazil that season, Chuchu fondly remembered his teammates.

WHAT IS THE HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD BETWEEN JUVENTUDE AND FLAMENGO?

In summary, Flamengo has faced Juventude as visitors 15 times, with two wins, six draws and seven losses. The other victory happened in the first match between the teams at Alfredo Jaconi, in 1995, with two goals from Sávio in a 2-0 win.

However, the most recent clash between the clubs leaves Flamengo fans more excited. After all, in the first round, Flamengo recorded the biggest thrashing in the history of the matchup: 6-0 at Maracanã. Now, Mengão will try to repeat the feat as visitors, starting at 4pm (Brasília time) this Sunday (14), in the 2025 Brasileirão.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.